Portable cooler



Jan. 16, 1934. A, DURDIN, 3D 1,943,857

PORTABLE COOLER Filed May 14, V1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 16, 1934. A. DUNN; 3D 1,943,857

PORTABLE COOLER Filed May 14. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l* i' Jan. 16, 1934. A. c. DURDIN, 3D 1,943,857

PORTABLE COOLER lFiled May 14, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 16, 1934 PORTABLE COOLER Augustus C. Durdin, 3d,

Chicago, Ill., assigner to Chicago Pump Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Application May 14, 1932. Serial No. 611,386

17 Claims.

This invention relates to portable coolers, and its principal object is to provide an air cooling apparatus for use in cooling onlces, rooms and other enclosed places. Another object is to pro- 5 lvide cooling apparatus which is portable, whereby it may be readily moved from one room to another as occasion requires it. Another object is to provide a cooler wherein all or the operative parts thereof, together with the cooling medium,

are contained in a cabinet having only one coinpartnient whereby the cost or" construction of the apparatus may be reduced materially, and whereby the parts may be readily assembled in the compartment without the aid of screws, bolts 'nails or like securing means.

Another object is to provide an assembly of parts, all or" which may be introduced into the interior of the cabinet through its open top, thereby permitting the cabinet to be constructed Zand cra-ted at one plant, and the operative parts of the cooler may be constructed and assembled at another plant and installed into the cabinet without removing the cabinet from the crate, thus saving the cost of uncrating the cabinet and recrating it after the mechanism has been installed therein.

The present invention contemplates the use oi' an electric rnotor, a blower and a water pump combined into one assembly, and it contemplates the use of a heat absorber through which a cooling medium is pumped by the water pump, and in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the motor, blower and water pump assembly are removably and replaceably mounted on the walls of the cabinet, and the heat absorber is removably and replaceably mounted on the cover or" the cabinet. These two mechanisms may be vseparately installed and connected together whereby the water pump may circulate cold water through the heat absorber, and the blower' may circulate warm ah' past the heat absorber, where-1 by the warm air is cooled and finally discharged into the room.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of this specification, and with said objects and advantages in View, this invention consists in the several novel features oi construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully set forth and particularly delined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanyng this specincation in which:

Fig. l is a View partly in front elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section through a (Cl. (i2-*131) portable cooler embodying a simple form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical cross-section thereof taken on x the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 60 Fig. 3 is a plan of the cooler;

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the cover of the cabinet;

T ig. 5 is a detail vertical fragmental section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an inverted fragmental plan of the heat absorber illustrated;

Fig. 'l is a detail horizontal 'section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. l;

Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of one of the 70 bracket lugs used for attaching the motor, blower and water pump assembly to the cabinet;

Fig. 9 is an edge view of the bracket lug seen in Fig. 8;

Fig. l0 is a fraginental plan of the cover and 75 illustrating the connections between the air inlet and the blower;

Fig. 1l is a vertical cross-section taken on the line ll--ll of Fig. l0;

Fig. l2 is a detail vertical ragrnental section 80 taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10;

Fig. l?. is an inverted plan of the adjustable connections for the collar seen in Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive; and

Fig. ifi is a detail vertical section through a pipe connection used between the water pump and the discharge pipe.

Referring to said drawings, the reference character 15 designates a substantially rectangular cabinet open at the top and provided with a removable and replaceable cover 16. The cabinet is mounted on wheels 17, whereby it may be readily inoved about from place to place. As is cus ternary in cooling apparatus, the walls thereof are usually made hollow and the hollow spaces are lled with heat insulating material. A door 18 is provided in one side of the cabinet for closing a door opening therein, through which ice may be introduced into the cabinet. The cabinet provides a single compartment which is made water tight in order to contain a body of cold water which is circulated through a heat absorber as will be presently explained. The cover is formed with a warm air inlet 19 through which warm air is drawn into the compartment, and also with a cooled air outlet 20 through which the cooled air discharged from the cooler into the space which is to be cooled.

A unit or assembly comprising an electric motor 2l, a blower, fan or the like 22 and a water 110 pump 23 is employed for circulating the air and the cooling medium, and said assembly is mounted on two side walls of the cabinet. The blower 22 may be of any desirable type and is mounted upon the upper' end of the motor shaft of the motor 21 and the water pump is preferably of the submerged type of pump, the impeller of which is mounted upon a shaft which extends through a hanger pipe 24 which connects the base of the motor with the pump case. This assembly provides one in which the blower is located adjacent the air inlet of the cover and the water pump is submerged in the cold water contained in the lower end of the compartment.

The motor, blower and water pump assembly is mounted upon the walls 25, 25 of the cabinet adjacent the corner formed by said two walls. Two supporting brackets 27 are employed for supporting the assembly, each bracket is provided with a clamp 28 (See Fig. 7) arranged to be clamped around the hanger pipe 24 of the assembly, and each bracket is also provided with two arms 29 which extend at right angles to each other from the clamp and are formed with apertured bases 30 that are arranged to be attached to bracket lugs 3l (See Fig. 8 and 9) that are rigidly fastened to the inner faces of the walls 25, 26 in position to engage with the apertured bases 30 of the supporting brackets. To attach the assembly to the cabinet, the assembly is lowered through the open top thereof, bringing the apertured bases of the supporting brackets into engagement with the bracket lugs, after which the upper ends of the uppermost bracket lugs are twisted or otherwise distorted above the apertured bases thereby preventing disconnection between the supporting brackets and bracket lugs.

Below the air outlet is a heat absorber 32 of conventional form, usually comprising two headers 33 connected by pipes 34 having fins thereon as usual. The heat absorber is secured to the cover 16 by straps 35 which are rigidly secured to the under side of the cover and extend through and are hooked around loops 36 that are welded or otherwise suitably fastened to the headers of the heat absorber. To fasten the heat absorber in place, the cover is inverted, the heat absorber placed thereon with the straps 35 projected through the loops 36 after which the extremities of the straps are bent back across the loops, thus rigidly fastening the heat absorber in place on the cover.

From one end of one header 33 extends a water pipe 37 having an elbow fitting 38 on its outer end to which is secured a flexible pipe 39, the lower end of which is attached to the discharge end of the water pump by a joint 40 as is seen in Fig. 14. From the other header 33 extends an elbow fitting 4l which communicates with another elbow tting 42 through a buttery valve 43, and from said elbow fitting 42 extends a flexible pipe 44 which leads toward the bottom of the compartment. The butterfly valve 43 is provided with a stem which projects out through the cover 16, and is provided with a handle 45 whereby the butterfly valve may be controlled. The water pump pumps cold water from the lower end of the compartment of the cabinet to the heat -absorber 32 from which it is discharged through the flexible pipe 44 back to the compartment. The blower 22 draws in warm air through the inlet 19, circulates it through the compartment of the cabinet and past the heat absorber finally discharging the cooled air out through the outlet 20.

The air inlet is protected by a grille or grating 46 (See Figs. l0 to 12 inclusive) which overlies the air inlet and fastened to the cover by screws 47. ln the air inlet is a sleeve 48, the upper edge of which is formed with a plurality of tongues 49 that are bent outward from the wall of the sleeve and rest upon the top of the cover, thereby supporting the sleeve in the inlet opening. When the grille or grating 46 is screwed down upon the cover, it clamps the tongues 49 down upon the cover and secures the sleeve rigidly in place.

Supported upon the the sleeve 43 is a collar 50 which projects down into the interior of the blower 22 and conducts the warm air thereto. ln order to properly align the collar 50 with the blower 22 adjustable connections are provided between the sleeve 48 and the collar 50 which admit of adjustment of the collar relative to the sleeve. The adjustable connections may coinprise overlapping rings 51, 52 secured respectively to the collar and sleeve, and screws 53 and clamp plates 54. The screws 53 extend down through the ring 51 and into notches 55 formed in the ring 52 and are threaded in the clamp plates 54 which bear against the under side of the ring 52. When assemblincr the parts, the sleeve and collar are let through the air inlet and the collar is adjusted relative to the blower so as to align it therewith, whereby its marginal edge will be left free from the inner marginal edge of the blower, after which the screws 53 are tightened up to secure the collar in place. The grille or grating is then fastened in place over the tongues 49, thereby rigidly securing all of the parts in position.

The outlet 2G is protected by a register 55, which is provided with louvers 57 connected by links 58. Preferably, there are two sets of louvers whereby either set may be manipulated independently of the other. With this arrangement, the outgoing cooled air may be directed toward one part of the room, or if desired, it may be directed in two directions.

ln the operation cf the cooler, the compartment is filled with ice and ordinarily a quantity of water is left in the lower end of the compartment. The apparatus is wheeled to the place where its use is required and the extension cord from the motor is plugged into an electrical outlet. The motor drives the pump and blower, the pump forcing cold water through the heat absorber, and the blower drawing in warm air and forcing it past the heat absorber, where it is cooled, nally discharging the cooled air through the air outlet. When it is necessary to replenish the cooler with ice, the cooler is wheeled to a convenient filling place, as for instance, the kitchen or a wash room, the free end of the flexible pipe 44 is drawn out of the cabinet and placed in a sink or other receptacle, and the motor is started, thereby pumping out the excess water. Afterwards, the pipe 44 is replaced in the cabinet and the cabinet filled with ice. The temperature of the cooled air furnished by the cooler may be regulated with the buttery valve. lf the air is found to be too cool for comfort, the valve may Je partly or wholly closed, thereby regulating the amount of cold water passing through the heat absorber and consequently moderating the temperature of the air leaving the cooler.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A cooler comprising in combination a cabinet having top,bottom and sides providing a compartment,a motor,blower and water pump asseme bly in said compartment supported by the walls thereof, a heat absorber supported by thevtop of the cabinet and connected to the water pump by a conduit, there being an opening to said compartment through which said motor, blower and water pump assembly and the heat absorber are introduced into the compartment, and there being an air inlet, opening to said blower and an air outlet, opening out from said heat absorber.

2. A cooler comprising in combination, a cabinet having a single compartment open at the top and closed by a removable and replaceable cover, a motor, blower and water pump assembly in said compartment supported upon the walls thereof, there being an air inlet leading to said compartment and an air outlet leading therefrom, and the blower being interposed between said air inlet and outlet, and a heat absorber supported by the cover between the blower and air outlet and connected to the water pump, said compartment being adapted to contain a cooling medium including water which the water pump pumps through the heat absorber.

3. A cooler comprising in combination a cabinet having a compartment therein, adapted to contain a cooling medium including water, said compartment being open at the top and closed by a cover, a motor, blower and water pump assembly located in said compartment and removably mounted on the walls thereof, a heat absorber located in said compartment and removably mounted on the cover, a conduit leading from the water pump to the heat absorber and a conduit leading from said heat absorber, there being an air inlet in the cabinet opening to the blower and an air outlet in the cabinet adjacent the; heat absorber.

4. A cooler having a water tight compartment adapted to hold ice and water, and provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, a motor, blower and water pump assembly mounted in the compartment, a heat absorber mounted in the upper part of the compartment, and a conduit leading from the water pump to the heat absorber, said pump being adapted to circulate water from the lower end of the compartment through the heat absorber, and the blower being adapted to circulate air through the compartment, past the heat absorber and discharge the cooled air through the air outlet.

5. In a cooler the combination of a cabinet, bracket lugs secured on the inner walls thereof, a motor, blower and water pump assembly, and supporting brackets for said assembly, each sup- 5 porting bracket having a clamp connection with the assembly and an apertured base connectible with a bracket lug.

6. In a cooler the combination of a cabinet, upper and lower bracket lugs secured to the inner walls thereof, a motor, blower and water pump assembly and upper and lower supporting brackets for the assembly, each having a clamp connection with the assembly and two angularly disposed bracket arms provided with apertured bases connectible with two bracket lugs.

7. In a cooler the combination of a cabinet cover, a heat absorber provided with loops on its sides, and supporting straps secured to the cover and extending through said loops with their extremities bent across the loops.

8. In a cooler the combination of a cabinet having a removable and replaceable cover formed with an air inlet opening, a motor driven blower mounted in said cabinet below said air inlet opening, and a collar entering said blower and adjustably mounted on the cover at said air inlet opening whereby the collar may be adjusted into alignment with the blower.

9. In a cooler, the combination of a cabinet having a removable and replaceable cover provided With an air inlet opening, a motor driven blower mounted on the walls of the cabinet under said air inlet opening, an internal shoulder supported in said air inlet, a collar entering said blower and having an external shoulder resting on said internal shoulder, and adjustably carried thereby, and clamp means for securing said shoulders together with the collar in adjusted position.

10. In a cooler the combination of a cabinet having a removable and replaceable cover provided with an air inlet opening, a motor driven blower mounted on the walls of the cabinet under said air inlet opening, a sleeve positioned in said air inlet opening, said sleeve having an internal shoulder and a collar carried by and adjustably mounted on said shoulder, said collar eX- tending into the blower.

11. In a cooler a cabinet having an air inlet in its top, a sleeve in said air inlet having outwardly extending tongues resting on said top of the cabinet, a grille, secured to the top above said air inlet in engagement with said tongues, a motor driven blower mounted in the cabinet, and a collar entering said blower and adjustably supported by said sleeve.

12. A cooler comprising in combination, a cabinet having a water tight compartment through which the air to be treated is circulated, said compartment being adapted to contain a cooling element and liquid, and having an air inlet and an air outlet, a motor, blower and water pump assembly mounted in said compartment, with the blower located adjacent the air inlet and with the pump inlet submerged in the liquid, and a heat absorber mounted in the cabinet adjacent the air outlet, said heat absorber being connected to the pump and having a discharge pipe discharging into the compartment.

13. In a cooler the combination of a cabinet, adapted to contain a body of water and having an air inlet and an air outlet, a motor, blower and water pump mounted in the cabinet with the inlet to the water pump submerged in the water, and a heat absorber having an inlet connected to the discharge end of the water pump and having an outlet discharging into the chamber.

14. In a cooler the combination of a cabinet adapted to contain a cooling element and a body of water, said cabinet having an air inlet and an air outlet, a motor, blower and water pump therein, a heat absorber connected to the water pump and flexible means leading from the heat absorber for discharging the surplus water from the cabinet.

15. A cooler comprising in combination a cabinet having top, bottom and sides providing a single compartment, a motor, blower and water pump assembly in said compartment, a heat absorber supported in the cabinet and connected to the water pump by a conduit, there being a single opening to said compartment through which said motor, blower and water pump assembly and the heat absorber are introduced into the compartment, and there being an air inlet, opening to said blower and an air outlet, opening out from said heat absorber.

16. A cooler comprising in combination, a cabinet having a single compartment open at the top and closed by a removable and replaceable cover, a motor, blower and water pump assembly in said compartment, therel being an air inlet leading to said compartment and an air outlet leading therefrom, and the blower being interposed between said air inlet and outlet, and adapted to circulate the air to be treated through said cornpartrnent, and a heat absorber supported between the blower and air outlet and connected to the water pump, said compartment being adapted to contain a cooling medium including water which Cra 

